“Call Me Marilyn,” or Just, You Know, Something…

A few days ago Tania and I saw “My Week With Marilyn,” which stars Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe.  In the film there is a scene in which Monroe, untouchable, unreliable, surrounded by an enabling entourage, tells the PA who has been “Ms. Monroe”-ing her up and down, to call her Marilyn.  It’s supposed to be the moment we know he’s broken through (SPOILER ALERT: Eh, you can guess).

Now for many reasons that are covered later, there is no actual “breaking through” with somebody who is aware of and embracing their iconic status.  Sure.  Still, this simple exchange struck me as interesting.

Authentic Copies of Fake Originals

As I mentioned before, my local community Christmas tree is located in a privately-owned open-air mall and last week I was appalled to discover that the tree is really a tree trunk fitted with imported branches attached with pegs.  Branches that are made of real tree matter but odorless, oddly life-less and dispatched to replace the actual branches that once grew out of this very real tree’s trunk.  Since my last posting the entire tree has also been painted a bright, unnatural shade of green.

Painting a Live Tree Is Tricky Business

The last time I went to see the progress on the tree operation, a man and woman came up behind me and asked if the large, bright green thing in front of them was real.  (With it’s new coat of paint, the tree looks odd, to say the least, and fake to say the worst.)  I replied with what I knew, that it was all technically real tree parts but none from the same tree.  To this, the woman exclaimed, “It’s the perfect metaphor for LA.”  She was right, though she was also telepathically copying my idea, which is rude.

Driving While President

These guys

When I arrived at work the other day there were snipers on the roof of our office building. Snipers, ready to snipe things with their rifles. All aflutter with this turn of events, I filled several people in via gchat. The exchanges usually went something like this: